Treatment with the Leonardo Dual diode laser from biolitec is an effective and gentle outpatient alternative for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, according to a new study
Jena, 14.05.2024 – The LEONARDO Dual diode laser from biolitec has proven itself as an alternative for the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, according to new study results.1 Due to increasing life expectancy, women today spend a third of their lives after menopause. The hormonal changes that cause the menopause are often associated with considerable symptoms. One of the most common is genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) or vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA). Symptoms include vaginal burning, vaginal itching, vaginal dryness, dyspareunia and dysuria. The usually promising treatment with oestrogen preparations is not always applicable. This applies to former cancer patients, for example, but also to women who generally reject hormone treatments. Laser treatment with the LEONARDO dual diode laser from biolitec is an energy-based, effective and gentle outpatient alternative. This is shown by new study results from the gynecology departments of the IRCC San Gerardo dei Tintori of the University of Milan-Bicocca and the ASST Lecco of the Manzoni Hospital in Lecco. The study is the first on the effectiveness of a pure diode vaginal laser in the treatment of GSM. Outpatient non-ablative diode laser treatment was investigated in 26 sexually active GSM patients over the age of 18 who either could not tolerate local estrogen therapy, did not respond to it or refused it for other reasons. All patients were either menopausal or being treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
The starting point of the study was the participants‘ data on the Vaginal Health Index (VHI), VVA symptoms and sexual function. The VHI records the five measured values of elasticity, fluid volume, pH value, epithelial integrity and moisture. The intensity of VVA symptoms was measured on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 (no symptoms) to 100 (worst symptoms). Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-19) questionnaire. Laser treatment was performed in three monthly sessions with a Leonardo dual diode laser. One month after the third session, the VHI, the symptom VAS and the FSFI-19 were evaluated again. In addition, the PGI-I questionnaires (Patient Global Impression of Improvement) completed by the participating patients were taken into account. None of the patients reported any undesirable side effects following diode laser treatment. According to the PGI-I questionnaire, symptoms improved in a total of 73.1% of patients. There were also significant improvements in all areas of the FSFI-19 questionnaire. The mean VHI score also improved from 12.2 to 15.4, while the VAS score fell from 69.2 to 43.5 points, which also indicates a clear improvement in the symptoms recorded. According to the study, the LEONARDO Dual Diode Laser provides an effective alternative treatment for urogenital menopausal syndrome and vulvovaginal atrophy to restore vaginal function.
1Barba, M. et. al.: Efficacy of a Diode Vaginal Laser in the Treatment of the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause; Bioengineering 2023, Nr.10, 1158
About biolitec:
biolitec® Holding GmbH & Co KG is one of the leading companies worldwide in the field of medical laser treatments and the only provider that possesses all relevant core competencies – photosensitizers, laser devices and optical fibers – in the field of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Besides laser-based treatment of cancer with the drug Foscan®, biolitec® Holding GmbH & Co KG primarily researches on minimally-invasive and gentle laser treatments and markets them. ELVeS Radial™ (Endo Laser Vein System) is the most often used laser system worldwide for the treatment of varicose veins. In combination with the Ceralas® HPD laser, the innovative contact fiber XCAVATOR® enables a gentle treatment of e.g. benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in urology. The new LEONARDO® diode laser by biolitec® is the first universally applicable medical laser which features a combination of two wavelengths, 980nm and 1470nm, and is suitable for interdisciplinary use. Gentle laser treatments in the fields of proctology, ENT, gynecology, thoracic surgery as well as pneumology also belong to the business field of biolitec® Holding GmbH & Co KG. Further information at www.biolitec.com
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